My girls convinced me to buy them some cereal (one of the better quality and rather expensive sorts) when we were out food shopping together one day. I relented and let them have it. My rule is 80:20. Life is for living and if you’re doing the best thing for your wellbeing 80% of the time, then I figure it’s ok to enjoy a glass of wine, indulge in some yummy chocolate, stay up late, party with friends and dance the night away or whatever it is you love to do 20% of the time. If it makes you happy and feels good and is not detrimental to health - I think it’s ok. It is likely to release endorphins that are great for your health.
This morning we were blessed with beautiful weather that made a walk in Queen Elizabeth park returning along the beach too good to pass up. Half way into the walk one of my daughters says she is '“too tired to walk”, five minutes later she says she “does not feel well and can’t walk anymore”, complaining of lack of energy. She goes on to show me me her flat tummy and says, “Mum, it’s empty. I only had cereal for breakfast today”. My other daughter says she did too. One of them is borderline hypoglycaemic with the warm sun, exercise and fresh air pushing her over her limit. The other says she is tired and hungry and just wants to go home.
Disappointed I say I will take them home… my third daughter is disappointed too. She asks if she can meet us back at the car and take a detour with our two dogs over the small paths through the sand dunes - and like a bullet - off she shoots up the steep incline of the nearest dune. She had a smoothie. She has written down the recipe of my favourite current smoothie and stuck it on the fridge door and whizzes it up each day for breakkie. She is energetic without being hyperactive, she is happy and her mood is on an even keel.
We come home and the smoothie blender is on within minutes and my other daughter has whipped up two eggs and has devoured them with an apple and her self made ice-cream.
“Floragenecs” is FloraGenex - a practitioner only prebiotic powder. You can substitute this with partially hydrolysed guar gum (PHGG) which is available in a health food shop or try other healthy foods such as chia seeds, cashews or hemp seeds.
By the time I have finished writing this post, order has been restored, the girls are calm and happy, have steady energy and are happy entertaining themselves. Life is good on this glorious day.
A breakfast with a balance of healthy fats, carbohydrates and protein is better than a high carbohydrate cereal, most of which are full of sugar. The proof is in the smoothie.
